As an update to the agency’s current procedure, and to clarify our approach to dealing with emerging COVID cases, we have developed the following overview. This is a conservative approach – one that we feel provides the best assurance of safety – and minimized exposure – for employees and clients. It provides the most recent guidance we have, and is to be used in conjunction with the latest version of the table we distributed earlier and which follows this note for reference. We are also including a reminder of the definition of Close Contact provided by the CDC.
The changes are identified in Bold and italicized within this document. We will continue to post the plan as items are amended.
Close Contact
The following is reproduced here to remind you of the definition
You are considered to have close contact if any of the following situations happened while you spent time with the person with COVID-19 (even if that person did not have symptoms and was wearing a mask):
- You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more over the course of 24 hours
- You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
- You had direct, physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed)
- You shared eating or drinking utensils
- You were sneezed on, coughed upon or somehow got respiratory droplets on you
Employees and/or clients after close contact with somebody testing positive
Those in this category should not return to work until tested. Note that some testers may advise the person who had the contact to wait a few days prior to administering a test if not experiencing symptoms. In any event, do not return to work until a negative test results is obtained.
Returning to work following positive test result
Directions provided by a medical facility or doctor will be the first guideline for returning to work. Directions may consider such things as vaccination history, results and symptomology, and may differ from our standard.
In the event a testing entity does not provide guidance on returning to work, we will adhere to our existing guidelines as indicated in the following chart: at least 10 days since onset of symptoms, fever free without medication for 24 hours and reduced symptoms.
You should also note that for those who may miss work due to isolation or testing, sick time and vacation must be used (if available) prior to being unpaid. The federal government provided some programs to compensate businesses for time lost in 2020 but those programs are no longer in effect.
If you have any questions about these guidelines please contact your supervisor or director for assistance. Thanks in advance for your cooperation
The following chart outlines a range of scenarios, and is a complement to this written plan. The chart illustrates the action to be taken in a variety of situations. As always, employees with questions should contact their supervisor and director.
* If you are feeling healthy and well, are NOT experiencing/displaying any symptoms of Covid-19, and have not had a known close contact/close contact…
| Employee Scenario | Action | Requirements to Return to Work |
| A. You are not experiencing or displaying any Covid-19 Symptoms. | You may continue normal social distancing and “safer at home” activities. Remember that we have community based spread of Covid-19 in our county, and you should be monitoring yourself for symptoms. If you develop symptoms, immediately isolate yourself at home. Seek medical care if your symptoms become severe. Call ahead if you go to see a provider. | N/A |
* If you are asymptomatic but HAVE TESTED POSITIVE for Covid-19…
| Employee Scenario | Action | Requirements to Return to Work |
| B. You have no symptoms (asymptomatic) and have tested positive for COVID-19. | Do not come to work.
Stay home and monitor for symptoms. If you have no symptoms, you can return 10 days after the date of your positive test.
If during the 10 days you become symptomatic, then you must continue to stay home for at least 10 more days from the date of symptom onset and meet all of the following before returning to work: 1. You have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medications) 2. Symptoms have improved 3. It has been at least 10 days since symptom onset. |
-Doctor’s note or Public Health release NOT required to return to work.
-You are not experiencing symptoms and feeling healthy. |
* If you ARE experiencing/displaying symptoms of Covid-19…
| Employee Scenario | Action | Requirements to Return to Work |
| C. You are experiencing symptoms of COVID19, but have not yet been tested. | Do not come to work.
FCC recommends you get tested. Stay home until all of the following apply: 1. You have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medications) 2. Symptoms have improved 3. It has been at least 10 days since symptom onset.
If you are tested, stay home until test results return. Follow Scenario E or F, depending on test results. |
-Doctor’s note or Public Health release NOT required to return to work.
-You are not experiencing symptoms and feeling healthy. |
| D. You are experiencing symptoms of COVID19, have been tested, but have not yet received the test results. | Do not come to work.
Stay home until test results return. Follow Scenario E or F, depending on test results |
-Doctor’s note or Public Health release NOT required to return.
-You are not experiencing symptoms and feeling healthy. |
| E. You are experiencing symptoms of COVID19, have been tested and test results came back negative. | You do not have COVID-19.
Follow standard employee illness protocols for returning to work.
Example: 24 hours fever-free, or when on antibiotics for at least 24 hours, or as approved to work by a doctor |
-A negative lab result or copy of the negative lab result is not required to return to work.
-A doctor’s note may be required to return to work based on medical condition and business illness policy. -You are not experiencing symptoms and feeling healthy. |
| F. You are experiencing symptoms of COVID19, have been tested and test results came back positive. | Do not come to work.
Stay home until all of the following apply: 1. It has been at least 10 days since first symptoms appeared 2. You have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medications) 3. Symptoms have improved |
-Doctor’s note or Public Health release NOT required to return to work.
-You are not experiencing symptoms and feeling healthy. |
* If you have had close contact at work to a person who tested positive for Covid-19…
| Employee Scenario | Action | Requirements to Return to Work |
| G. You are a close contact to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 at work.
You must notify all close contacts within your workplace.
|
Vaccine Update: If you have received the COVID-19 vaccine, you do not need to quarantine. You SHOULD monitor yourself for symptoms and wear a mask when in public. You should also be tested 3 – 5 days after exposure. More detailed information from the CDC can be found here.
Do not come to work.
La Crosse Health Department recommends a 14-day quarantine, as this is the safest strategy for preventing asymptomatic transmission of COVID19.
1. With a test: You can return to work after day 7 ONLY if the result of a COVID-19 test is negative and no symptoms are reported during daily monitoring. This means you can return to work on day 8. A pending test on day 7 is not sufficient. The test must be collected within 48 hours of the end of quarantine, meaning a person can be tested at the earliest on day 6 or day 7. Daily symptom monitoring must continue through day 14. 2. Without a test: You can return to work after day 10 without testing IF no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring. This means you can return to work on day 11. Daily symptom monitoring must continue through day 14
If symptoms appear within 14 days, stay home until all of the following apply: 1. It has been 10 days since symptom onset 2. You have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medications) 3. Symptoms have improved |
-14 days after an close contact is still the recommended quarantine timeline.
You may choose the shorter quarantine time listed below IF you follow the directives to the left.
-You may return on day 8 with a negative test as described and no symptoms.
-You may return on day 11 with no test and no symptoms.
-In either shortened scenario, symptom monitoring must continue for 14 days. If you become symptomatic, you must follow the symptom criteria for returning to work.
-Doctor’s note or Public Health release NOT required to return to work
-You are not experiencing symptoms and feeling healthy. |
* If you have had close contact in the community…
| Employee Scenario | Action | Requirements to Return to Work |
| H. You have been in close contact with someone who shows symptoms but has not been tested | Vaccine Update: If you have received the COVID-19 vaccine, you do not need to quarantine. You SHOULD monitor yourself for symptoms and wear a mask when in public. You should also be tested 3 – 5 days after exposure. More detailed information from the CDC can be found here.
You can continue to work and self-monitor symptoms daily
FCC strongly urges employees to get tested. |
N/A |
| I. You have been in close contact with someone with symptoms who is waiting on test results | Vaccine Update: If you have received the COVID-19 vaccine, you do not need to quarantine. You SHOULD monitor yourself for symptoms and wear a mask when in public. You should also be tested 3 – 5 days after exposure. More detailed information from the CDC can be found here.
Do not come to work.
Stay home until the contacts’ test results come back.
If the close contact tests negative and you have no symptoms, you can return to work.
If the close contact tests positive, you need to be tested.
Stay home until your tests results come back, and then follow scenario E or F, depending on test results. |
For a positive test: -Doctor’s note or Public Health release NOT required to return to work.
For a negative test: -Continue to self-monitor symptoms daily. -You are not experiencing symptoms and feeling healthy. |
| J. You have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 (symptomatic or asymptomatic) | Vaccine Update: If you have received the COVID-19 vaccine, you do not need to quarantine. You SHOULD monitor yourself for symptoms and wear a mask when in public. You should also be tested 3 – 5 days after exposure. More detailed information from the CDC can be found here.
Do not come to work.
La Crosse County Health department recommends a 14-day quarantine, as this is the safest strategy for preventing asymptomatic transmission of COVID19.
1. With a test: You can return to work after day 7 ONLY if the result of a COVID-19 test is negative and no symptoms are reported during daily monitoring. This means you can return to work on day 8. A pending test on day 7 is not sufficient. The test must be collected within 48 hours of the end of quarantine, meaning a person can be tested at the earliest on day 6 or day 7. Daily symptom monitoring must continue through day 14. 2. Without a test: You can return to work after day 10 without testing IF no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring. This means you can return to work on day 11. Daily symptom monitoring must continue through day 14.
If symptoms appear within 14 days, stay home until all of the following apply: 1. It has been 10 days since symptom onset 2. You have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medications) 3. Symptoms have improved |
-14 days after an close contact is still the recommended quarantine timeline.
You may choose the shorter quarantine time listed below IF you follow the directives to the left.
-You may return on day 8 with a negative test and no symptoms.
-You may return on day 11 with no test and no symptoms.
-In either shortened scenario, symptom monitoring must continue for 14 days. If you become symptomatic, you must follow the symptom criteria for returning to work.
-Doctor’s note or Public Health release NOT required to return to work
-You are not experiencing symptoms and feeling healthy. |
| K. You are a close contact to someone who has been exposed to another positive person | You can continue to work and self-monitors symptoms daily. | N/A |
* Close contact and positive Covid-19 tests within your home…
| Employee Scenario | Action | Requirements to Return to Work |
| L. You live with someone who tested positive for COVID-19
Household contact guidance depends if the positive COVID-19 person can completely isolate in his or her household. This includes separate rooms, bathrooms, and no contact of any kind with other household members.
If positive COVID-19 person is able to completely isolate, quarantine can begin on the day of your last close contact with your household member. |
Do not come to work.
If you are unable to have complete separation from the person who had a positive COVID-19, you must stay home the entire time your household member is considered infectious, and your quarantine date begins on the day the household member is considered recovered. At the earliest this is 17 days.
The health department still recommends a 14 day quarantine, but shortened may be allowed: 1. With a test: You can return to work after day 7 ONLY if the result of a COVID-19 test is negative and no symptoms are reported during daily monitoring. This means you can return to work on day 8. A pending test on day 7 is not sufficient. The test must be collected within 48 hours of the end of quarantine, meaning a person can be tested at the earliest on day 6 or day 7. Daily symptom monitoring must continue through day 14. 2. Without a test: You can return to work after day 10 without testing IF no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring. This means you can return to work on day 11. Daily symptom monitoring must continue through day 14
If symptoms appear within 14 days, stay home until all of the following apply: 1. It has been 10 days since symptom onset 2. You have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever reducing medications) 3. Symptoms have improved |
-14 days after an close contact is still the recommended quarantine timeline.
You may choose the shorter quarantine time listed below IF you follow the directives to the left.
-You may return on day 8 with a negative test and no symptoms.
-You may return on day 11 with no test and no symptoms.
-In either shortened scenario, symptom monitoring must continue for 14 days. If you become symptomatic, you must follow the symptom criteria for returning to work.
-Doctor’s note or Public Health release NOT required to return to work
-You are not experiencing symptoms and feeling healthy. |
| M. You live with or care for someone who is has been exposed to another positive person | You can continue to work and self-monitors symptoms daily. | N/A |
* If you have PREVIOUSLY been diagnosed with Covid-19…
| Employee Scenario | Action | Requirements to Return to Work |
| N. You had COVID19 in the past and now has another positive test. | You may continue to work and do not need to isolate if the positive tests occurred within 90 days of each other. Other employees are not at risk. People who have COVID-19 can test positive for many weeks after they recover and are no longer infectious. | N/A |
| O. You were previously diagnosed with COVID-19, and are now considered a close contact | You may continue to work and do not need to isolate if the positive tests occurred within 90 days of each other. Other employees are not at risk. People who have COVID-19 can test positive for many weeks after they recover and are no longer infectious. | N/A |
* If you have traveled…
| Employee Scenario | Policy | Requirements to Return to Work |
| P. You traveled to a “viral hotbed” within the past 14 days. | Employees having traveled shall use sound judgement upon their return. If you traveled to an area considered a “hot spot” or knowingly had close contact to the Covid-19 virus, you are expected to self-identify and get tested. You are expected to self-quarantine pending the results. Employees are encouraged to work from home pending test results and then must follow recommendations from their county health department. | Discuss your circumstances with your supervisor prior to return to work AFTER your return to the area. |
In cases where the circumstances do not match any of the scenarios above the applicable Director(s) and the HR Director will work out a solution that protects the individual, other employees of FCC, our clients, and the community. The Director will be responsible for administering the proposed next steps, including informing the parties directly involved. The HR Director will be responsible for informing the President/CEO.